Mate of Fate
by Sellybelly411
Summary: Natsu Dragneel had been acting clingy towards Lucy Heartfilia for a while now, which isn't much of a surprise. He has always been hanging somewhere around ever since they met, he even sneaks in her house to sleep in her bed! So, nothing very unusual. But then he gets the urge to kiss Lucy, to make her his... Maybe things are not so normal after all. SLOW UPDATES!
1. Chapter One

Chapter One

Natsu Dragneel was walking along the streets of Magnolia with his two long-time best (and closest) friends Lucy Heartfilia and Happy. The three friends were in an intense conversation about how their last job went and ended up getting a menacing glare from the blonde Celestial Mage. He tended to destroy things a lot when on jobs and ended up having to spend their reward money to pay back for the property damage.

Rolling his eyes, he just raised his arm and slung it over the girl's shoulder. Now, if he was any other man than Lucy would be surprised by the sudden contact, but this was Natsu. He tended to do sudden things like this to her all the time, even holding her hand. She was uncomfortable with it at first, but after realizing there was no getting through to him she simply gave up the fight.

"So, what job should we go on next?" The pink-haired teenager asked.

"You're already thinking about that? But we just got back, Natsu! Can't we take a break for once?"

"Oh, c'mon!" He said, pulling his arm away and frowning down at her, "Don't you need money for rent next week? Quit being so darn lazy, where's your determination?"

"Well, I was actually _hoping _that the reward for this job would cover my rent, but you just messed it up, you idiot!"

"Ugh, not this again, I already said I was sorry!"

"That's not the point, Natsu! You can't just go around wrecking things all the time." She shouted, "Anyway, I'm going to head back to my apartment. I'll see you two tomorrow."

"So… about that job?"

"Look, if you are so desperate to go to work again, have at it. _I'm _taking a break."

"Not happening." He said seriously, "Lucy, you know that we won't go without you. It wouldn't feel right if you didn't come along."

"Aye…" Happy agreed.

"Just go home already, I'm too exhausted to think about this." She said, throwing her hands up in the air out of irritation. With one lazy wave of her hand, she turned back around and dragged her suitcase behind her.

_He's so annoying. _

Natsu walked into the Fairy Tail guild hall the next morning with a huge smile on his face. He scanned the room for Lucy, a habit he had quickly became aware of. He then spotted her at the bar talking to Mirajane and headed over.

"Natsu!" Lisanna Strauss called out, greeting him with a sudden hug, one he didn't return. He looked in the direction of his blonde friend, who was trying to stifle her laughter by sipping her water. He just shook his head and gave her a evil glare, one she just rolled her eyes at. The girl knew how awkward this was for him to be greeted like that. She watched as he pushed the white-haired girl away and mumbled an apology, then took a seat beside his other comrade.

"Havin' fun there?" She teased, not even trying to force away her laughter, "You should know better, Natsu. She does that every time you walk into the guild."

"Yeah, I know. I just wish she wouldn't."

_"That_ part is clear enough." The girl said, bursting into a fit of giggles and nearly falling off the stool she was sitting on.

"This is why I like you better." He admitted, swinging an arm around her shoulder. Lucy looked up at him with a confused look in her eyes, "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, you have way more sense than Lisanna when it comes to paying attention." He said, smiling at her, "That's why we're best friends, isn't it?"

She looked up at him in awe, "You bet!"

Across the bar, Mirajane looked at the two friends with a frown on her face. They had only known each other for three years (not counting the seven years they had been asleep on Tenrou) and were already closer than anyone else in the entire guild. She had read many gossip columns about them in local magazines that that claimed that they were dating. The takeover mage sighed and set down the mug that she had been wiping down, wishing that it could be true. They were so _perfect _for each other but too dumb to realize it.

"Mirajane?"

The white-haired girl turned around and looked at the two, who were looking up at her with immense concern, "Are you alright? You've been wiping the same plate for three minutes."

"Oh!" She said, placing it down on a stack of clean plates beside her, "Yeah, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me, Lucy."

"It wasn't because of what Natsu said about Lisanna, was it?"

"Huh? Oh, no. In fact, I completely agree with you. She can be so oblivious sometimes." Mirajane sighed sadly, "I'll talk to her about that later, but I can't promise I'll be able to convince her to stop."

Natsu nodded in thanks then turned his attention back to Lucy, his attention directing down to her lap. She was stroking the small blue cat, who was curled up in a ball right on top of her lap, a soft purr emitting every time she stroked his fuzzy back.

"Happy?" Natsu asked, getting the blue cat's attention. His eyes opened halfway as he looked up at his best friend, "When did you get here?" The fire dragon asked, crossing his arms.

Tear's came to the exceed's eyes as he heard the sentence, "Natsu, you meanie!" He shouted, "You're a bad friend! I've been here the entire time!" He turned around to face the Celestial Mage, "Can you believe him, Lucy?" He said, using his paws to wipe away his tears. Frowning at the sight of her sad friend, "Don't worry, he's just a complete moron."

"Yeah, you're right." Happy agreed with a nod of his head, "Still hurt my feelings though." He let out a light yawn then curled up in the girl's lap once more, "I'm just gonna little nap, okay Lucy?"

She just nodded and continued to pet him, then started a new conversation with her fire-breathing friend.

_They're like husband and wife. _Mirajane thought to herself, smiling happily, _how sweet._

"... So, we heading out first thing tomorrow, then?" Natsu asked.

"Sure, but are Gray, Erza, and Wendy coming?"

"Nah. Apparently they decided to take breaks from all the missions, bunch of wimps if you ask me." He mumbled, "So I guess it's just us!" The pink-haired boy said excitedly, "Been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, try three years." She agreed, smiling up at him, "So I'll meet you at the train station then?"

"Don't be stupid, Lucy. We're gonna be picking you up first thing tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me." She agreed, "I should head home, see you then."

"You got it!"

She lifted herself off her stool and waved goodbye to him, about to leave when Natsu suddenly grabbed hold of her wrist. He wasn't sure why, but he felt like he needed the contact right now. When he looked into her concerned chocolate brown eyes, he felt as if his heart was pounding. Natsu was in a trance as he kept staring at her, wondering when exactly she got so beautiful. Her long, blonde hair framed her face perfectly and her deep brown eyes sparkled in the reflection of the sun. The way she looked at him, with her mouth only slightly open was what really struck him. No, not that specifically, but her lips. At the moment, he wanted nothing more than to press his lips against hers. He could see them moving, but he heard no words. What was this feeling?

"... Su." Lucy shouted, her hand waving in front of his eyes, finally bringing him back into reality. He blinked quickly and shook his head, "Wha… What was…?"

"Are you alright?" She asked, "You've been staring at me for a while now."

"Nngh… Yeah, I'm fine. No need to worry, Luce." He assured, although he knew she didn't buy it one bit.

But she also respected his privacy (unlike he did to her) and nodded, waving goodbye once more as he trudged out of the building, followed by a groggy happy who had just woken up from his nap. A concerned sigh escaped her lips as she put her coat on and left the building herself, waving goodbye to everyone before making her way home.

**A/N: **Hi everybody! I just want to thank any readers I currently have on this story and ask them to please follow, favorite, and leave reviews! I think this is some of my best writing if I'm being honest and I hope you do too!

If you are new to my work, please check out my other Fairy Tail fanfictions "Celestial Stars," "Fire," and "Finding a Way Back Home" if you liked this one. I'd really appreciate your support and hope you leave some reviews there as well!

Love,

Sellybelly411


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

On Strawberry Street, Lucy sat in her apartment getting ready for her next job. She knew that if she didn't finish up soon, then Natsu would burst down her apartment door and drag her outside even if she wasn't even close to being done.

Looking over her appearance in her bathroom mirror, she watched herself fasten her hair up using a ribbon in its usual side ponytail style. The girl smiled in satisfaction and was about to leave when she heard some commotion outside.

A certain pink-haired mage was stomping around outside, his whole body engulfed in flames, which of course gathered a large crowd of townspeople. Some were debating whether to get some water to douse the fire, while others tiptoed around him in fear that they would be caught up in his flames as well. Any normal girl would find this just as strange and frightening as the others, but instead Lucy just laughed. She found it hilarious how this had somehow turned into her normal, and how she wasn't ever phased by any of his unusual actions.

"_**That's it, Happy!"**_ He shouted to his pet cat, who was flying just above him, "I can't wait for her any longer! I'm going into grab her_** right now!"**_

_Oh, no. There's that stupid temper of his again. Well, I better get down before he sets the entire building on fire…_

"Natsu, wait!" The blonde shouted through the open window, "I'm coming down right now, so would you quit scarin' these people?"

His flames vanished, though his anger was still alive, "Then get down here, wouldya? We don't have all day!"

She just rolled her eyes and trudged downstairs, "See?" She announced, holding her arms out in a 'T' position, then gesturing to herself, "I'm here, moron."

"Took you long enough!" He scolded, grabbing her hand and pulling her ahead, "If we don't leave now, we'll never—" His eyes flickered in her direction, there was that feeling again.

"Hm?"

Rolling his eyes, he scooped the girl up and his arms and ran ahead, silently wondering to himself what was going on. He had never felt this way before, and wanted to know what it was. Could it be some sort of infection?

"Natsu."

Maybe Lucy could tell him what it was. She had an expensive education as a child and was nearly, if not surpassing, Levy McGarden.

"_Natsu."_

_Could I ask her about it, though? _He asked himself, _Since she seems to be the problem, I dunno if that would be the best idea…_

"_**NATSU!"**_

The fire wizard snapped out of his trance and looked down at the girl in his arms. She was staring up at him with a look of both concern and anger, "Could you put me down already? We're at the station."

"O- Oh." He stuttered, his stomach already giving up on him as he stared at the vehicle across from him, "Y- Ya know some…" He gagged, doing his best to keep today's meal from coming out.

"We're not even on the train and you're _already _nauseous? Why am I not surprised?"

"Aye." The flying cat agreed, taking a perch on her shoulder, "I'm just surprised that he didn't complain once on our way here."

"Yeah, I agree, what was up with that? You weren't acting like yourself at all." She commented, dusting off the skirt of her dress as the teenager finally set her down.

"N- No-Not-"

She raised an eyebrow and shifted her position so all her weight was supported by her right leg, "Oh, I forgot. Guess you're gonna have to tell me once we get to Crocus, and don't try to wiggle your way outta this one, Natsu." She warned, grabbing his hand and helping him up on the train out of fear that he might fall back down.

"Look who it is!" A passenger mused, lacing her own fingers together and swooning at the sight of the two wizards, "Those are the wizards from the Fairy Tail guild. The ones listed as the number one couple in Sorcerer Weekly! Natsu and Lucy!"

"Oh, you're right!" Another one said, hovering over the edge of her seat so she could get a better look, "I hear that they don't go anywhere without each other."

"Yeah, I heard that too! And did you see the way that they were holding hands? Oh, I wish I had a boyfriend!" A woman in her mid-20s chimed in, smiling at the "couple."

Lucy rolled her eyes at the commotion and looked out the window, _here they go again. _She thought, looking out the window to distract herself from it.

"Lu…" The dragon slayer gagged once more and fell on to the blonde's shoulder. She chuckled at the sight and pulled him closer, gently shifting his body so that he was now resting on her lap and began stroking his head.

Looking out of the corner of her eye, she noticed all the girls staring at them with admiration.

_This doesn't help my case._

"..cy."

"Mm?"

"Tell me…" He whispered, trying to pull himself up but failing miserably, "Wh… Why do I feel th...like th...this?"

"Huh? What do you mean, don't you always get sick in vehicles?"

"Th- That's not… ne-nevmd."

She cocked her head to the side and bit the inside of her cheek, wondering what his deal was. First, he spaced out yesterday, second he carried her to the train station, and now he was asking about why he was feeling motion sick?

_No, it has to be something else. _

Still, he was in too much of a motion sickness blob to be able to tell her what was going on. Even if he _wasn't, _she had a feeling that getting information out of him would be just as difficult.

It took three hours to get to their stop and Natsu had fallen asleep in Lucy's lap an hour in. That's why he liked traveling with her, because she always made him calm. Lately, she had been able to semi-cure his motion sickness without the use of Wendy's Troya spell. All he had to do was lay on her lap while she soothed him and he'd be out in no time.

"Natsu." She whispered, nudging him, "Natsu, we're here." When he didn't answer, she nudged him harder, until it resulted to her shaking his shoulders and shouting his name relentlessly.

"Mmngh?" He mumbled, licking his lips and staring at her with his eyes halfway open, "What's the big deal, Luce? I was sleeping."

"Yeah, and you know how much I _hate _interrupting one of your twelve-hour naps." She said sarcastically, "But we're here. So, get the hell off me so we can leave." She spat, taking hold of the collar of his jacket and dragging him off the vehicle with a great amount of force.

"Jeez, Lucy." Natsu mumbled as he got up and stared at the long-haired woman standing in front of him, "Wasn't that a bit much?"

"It would'nt have to be like that if you hadn't gotten up the first time! You almost made us miss our stop, you idiot!"

"Ugh, can you please lower your voice? I'm still waking up…" His eyes widened as he noticed all the lovestruck faces around them, "What are these guys ogling at?"

A pink blush appeared on Lucy's cheeks as she heard the crowd beginning to whisper once more. She found it infuriating that people only recognized her lately because of her relationship with Natsu. It was true that they were close, but that didn't mean that they were dating!

"Luce, what's wrong? Your face is super red, are you hot or something? Oh, there's a place over there that sells cold drinks, I'll get you something." He offered, pulling a few bills out of his jacket pocket, "Orange is your favorite right?"

"Yes, but Natsu you don't have t—"

"Wait here, I'll be right back!" He shouted, already running over to the stand. Lucy buried her face in her hands, letting out an embarrassed moan in the middle of the station. He was so clueless, so unbelievably oblivious to what his actions made them look like out in public. She often wondered if he even had a single brain cell in his head.

"Aw, he's so considerate!" A teenager in the crowd swooned, "He must be an amazing boyfriend."

This only made Lucy's face grow even more red. She clenched her fists and swore on her life that she would smack the hell outta whoever started this rumor. It had ruined her freaking life, not even the people that hired them took them seriously anymore.

"Wow, you're even redder than before." Natsu commented, handing her the drink he had just purchased. She thanked him politely and sipped at the beverage, instantly cooling her down. Hm, it seemed she _had _been getting hot after all.

A minute later it was drained, but the walk to their inn was a quick one so she simply dropped it into a nearby waste can. They opened the door and entered the inn, smiling at the front desk lady, who _instantly _recognized the two.

"O- Oh my…" She cleared her throat and pushed her cat-eye glasses up to the bridge of her nose, "I mean… how may I help you?"

Natsu slung an arm around his comrade's shoulder, who just sighed, "We booked two rooms recently and need to check in."

"I see." The receptionist nodded, "What's it under?"

"Dragneel."

She shuffled through some papers until she found them, "Ah! Here you two are. I must ask though, are you sure you want two rooms? One would be cheaper."

Lucy flushed red, knowing exactly where this woman was going with all this, "No. Just the two is fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Now if you could give us our keys…"

"I dunno, Luce. She says it's cheaper to rent one room, so why not do it? Wouldn't it be easier? We could save the money for food or really anything else we need." Natsu suggested, not understanding a single thing that was going on right now.

"Alright, then! Which room would you like to stay in? Don't worry, you won't have to pay for the two ro—"

"Absolutely not. Just give us our keys, Ma'am. We have some important work to do tomorrow and we could use the rest."

"I understand, but—"

"_**JUST GIVE US THE DAMN KEYS!"**_

The receptionist shrunk down in fear and quickly grabbed the keys and handing them to their respective owners. Lucy didn't even mumble so much as a thank you before she stomped up the staircase with Natsu on her tail. They both found their rooms quickly and the fire dragon slayer was happy when he found out that they were across from one another, but his comrade was anything but.

He didn't know what her problem was. The receptionist was just being nice and she had gone off on him. He watched as the girl was about to enter her room when he called her name, "Luce?"

"_What_, Natsu?"

His eyes widened as he observed her. It was like her body was glowing, and all he wanted to do was be closer to her. The pink haired boy grabbed hold of her hand and smiled down at her, "Lucy." He mumbled, getting closer… closer… and…

_SMACK!_

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" The celestial mage shouted, "You can't just get that close to a person and invade their personal space!"

He rubbed the side of his cheek where he had been slapped and stared into the eyes of the enraged girl. He took a deep breath, "Lucy, do you by chance have a communication lacrima on you?"

**A/N: **Well, that's a wrap on the second chapter! Hm… what could Natsu's problem be? (*cough* read the title *cough*) and if he finds out, will there be anyway to resolve it? You'll find out soon enough in the next chapter! I hope you liked this one, y'all!

Please make sure to favorite, follow, and leave reviews for me! I always love knowing what people think of my writing:3

Oh, and if you want to check out more of my fanfictions that are not available on here, please head on over to my Wattpad page. Just go to the Wattpad website and search up Sellybelly411. If you read my first Fairy Tail fanfiction on there "Celestial Stars" you'll also be able to view some fanart I made specifically for that chapter.

Thanks again for all your support and I can't wait to return with the next one!

Love,

Sellybelly411


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

"Lucy, do you by chance have a communication lacrima on you?" Natsu asked, stepping back a bit away from his friends.

"Yes, but… why?"

"Awesome, so go grab it for me, will ya?" He ordered, patting her on the back harder than he intended to, earning a loud yelp from the girl. He apologized quickly then asked for her lacrima once more.

"I don't understand why you nee—"

_"Lucy."_ He growled, "Just please, I need it." He demanded, grabbing hold of her shoulders and staring into her fearful chocolate brown eyes. She mumbled a quick 'ok' then unzipped her suitcase, which she had yet to unpack, and pulled out a medium-sized lacrima. The blonde smiled nervously and offered it to him, "Here you g-" Before she could even finish that sentence, the dragon slayer snatched it out of her hands and took it into his own room, slamming the door behind him.

That was the first time Natsu had truly scared Lucy. She wanted to ask what was so important but knew that when he was in this kind of mood there was no getting to him. The girl dragged her now closed suitcase inside her own room, letting it lay on the wooden floor. She untied her hair and kicked off her shoes, collapsing onto her bed in a heap of tears.

_Is this because of me? _She thought to herself, tightening her grip on her quilt, _Have I done something to upset him? _

More tears dripped down her face and even though no one was looking, she hid herself under the blankets and let out a loud wail. She didn't want to lose the first friend she ever had, but if she was really the problem there was nothing she could do about it.

"Master." Natsu said into the lacrima, "There's something wrong with me. Something serious."

"What is it, my boy?"

The dragon slayer was holding the sphere in front of him and staring intensely at Master Makarov. The older wizard had his arms crossed as he stared at the fire breather from his own side, and it seemed that Mirajane was with him.

"We need to speak alone, Mira." The younger boy said seriously, catching her attention.

"Mm?" She asked, smiling at her friend, "This couldn't be about what happened yesterday, could it? I mean, it's perfectly normal for you to feel that way. You two are practically joined at the hip!"

_"Mirajane! _This is _serious!" _He shouted, surprising the takeover mage, "Just leave me and the Master alone, please!"

There was a long pause on the other end before she finally nodded and left his office, leaving the two alone.

"Now, what's troubling you?" the Master asked.

"Something's happening to me." He confessed, "I think I might have picked up an infection."

"What, like the flu?"

"No! Nothing like that. It's just uh… it seems to only happen when I'm around Lucy." He admitted, "Like, I can't let anyone touch her, and I get nervous and my heart suddenly starts pounding…"

_"That's_ what you bothered me about, Natsu?" He shouted angrily, "You aren't infected, you're in love!"

"Love?" He repeated, "No, it's more than that."

"More…?"

"Yes, you see… the other night when I was at home before Lucy and me left for our job, I had this freaky dream where I had killed a bunch of people… just to protect her. It's like I wanted her all to myself, like nobody else could toucher." His head pounded again, and his vision became blurry once more. He nearly fell down but caught himself just in time to meet the eyes of his worried Master.

"I see." He mumbled, an idea striking his mind, "No. This is horrible timing, Natsu you have to catch the first train home and get away from Lucy as quickly as you possibly can!"

"What? Why?"

"If this situation is what I think it is, then you could put her in grave danger." He shouted, "Do you here me, Natsu? Come home right now!"

"I don't understand, Gramps. Why the hell would I be a harm to Lucy? You know I'd never hurt her, she's my best friend!"

"Yes, I know but in this particular situation I'm afraid you will not have any control over that. You see... " He sighed, "It seems you have come of age."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It is said that once a dragon reaches eighteen years of age, they are required to pick their mate. In this case, it seems Lucy could be yours." He explained, "You're going to go through some changes, my boy. You will soon become very destructive and not care for anyone's feelings, you'll want only your mate."

"I still don't understand how that puts Lucy in danger." He admitted, already feeling nervous for the events that were about to come.

"Because, in order for you to claim her…" He took a deep breath and blew it out, "You will have to turn into a dragon and I'm afraid you have no control over that happening."

Natsu looked shocked, but let the old geezer continue speaking.

"Even if your intentions are to protect your mate, there is a high possibility that you could harm her in the process."

"What? I don't wanna harm her!"

"Which is why I am asking you to come back! We'll figure something out, maybe Wendy and Gajeel would know something about it. Did Igneel ever speak to you about this?"

"Not that I know of…"

"Then come home to Fairy Tail as quickly as you can. We'll make sure you keep a safe distance away from her."

Natsu's eyes flickered to his door, "What about Lucy? I can't just abandon her, can I?"

Master Makarov frowned, "I wish that wasn't the case but I am afraid I have no choice. I expect to be seeing you soon." And with that, his image flickered away and Natsu sat down, shell shocked on the foot of his bed.

_Love? Mating? _He thought, hiding his face in his palms, the whole thing was just so confusing and new. The thought of him abandoning Lucy here by herself put him over the edge. He didn't want to hurt her while this whole "thing" was going on, but also knew that he would be hurting her if she was left all alone.

_Which is worse, though? _Natsu wondered, _It's not like I have much of a choice, though. I'm gonna have to head back._ Picking up his unpacked baggage, he left the communication lacrima outside the entrance of Lucy's room with a note taped to the top. Trying to hide tears of his own, he checked himself out then left without another word.

Lucy woke up a few minutes later to go check on Natsu. She didn't hear much from his room, so she figured that he'd finished up his conversation and she could finally ask what was wrong. The blonde opened her room door and was confused when she felt something bump against her door.

Looking downward, she gasped at the sight of the lacrima, _No. _She thought, leaning down and picking it up, _He wouldn't._

She turned the object around and saw a paper taped to it, one that brought tears to her eyes. Just two words-

_I'm sorry._

It took two words to shatter her heart, and two seconds to throw the lacrima against the wall and break it.

_How could he do this to me again? _She thought to herself, _how could he leave me again?_

She felt a strange sense of déjà vu, it was just like before, when he had left nothing but a letter saying that he was leaving for a year _right after _she had lost Aquarius.

"And now…" she said out loud, wiping furiously at her tears, "Now he's… he's d..doing it ag...again?" Not even able to stop herself, she let out a loud wail and collapsed to her knees, "How could he?" She sniffled; _how could he do this to me?_

Quickly and without any hesitation, she turned her key in and left the building crying her eyes out.

**A/N: **Hi y'all! Yep, it's me again with another quick update! I'm really liking this story and I'm hoping you do too. As I've previously said, please make sure to follow, favorite, and leave reviews here for me! I hope you enjoyed and will keep readin' this story as it keeps on. See y'all later!

Love,

Sellybelly411


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Natsu boarded the train that same day feeling awful, which wasn't anything new. This pain though… it wasn't motion sickness; it was for Lucy. He was looking miserably out the window, hoping that Lucy wouldn't be mad at him.

Happy was sitting down behind Natsu with his paws crossed, refusing to speak to him. The cat was furious that his best friend had convinced him to leave the blonde. No matter how hard he had tried to convince him otherwise, the dragon slayer kept saying that he had to do it to keep Lucy from getting hurt. Although Happy knew that the pink-haired boy's intentions were pure, he would still be hurting their friend anyway.

_I should have stayed behind with Lucy. _Happy thought to himself, _because now she's all alone again._

"Hey, Happy?"

The feline just humphed and ignored the teenager.

"This is hard for me too."

He ignored his friend once again.

"I know it hurts, but this is for the best. She'll be safer this way."

And with that final sentence, Happy shot out of his seat and sprouted his wings, staring angrily down at Natsu with tears in his round eyes, _"How could you say that?" _He shouted, "Lucy's our best friends and this isn't right! Come on, we have to go back. She's probably crying her eyes out 'cause of you."

"Yeah, probably." He mumbled, "But that doesn't matter right now."

This angered the cat even more and he flew down and tugged at the collar of Natsu's jacket, "Why are you acting so heartless! Her feelings do matter, you remember how hurt she was before when we left to train."

"Yeah, but that was different. She knew what we were doing, so she had no reason to be sad. I don't see what the big deal was in the first place."

"That's it." Happy growled, "That's _it! _I never should have come with you on that mission, or with you on this stupid train!" Using his paws, he unlatched the window and pushed it up, letting a huge gust of wind inside the vehicle.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going to find Lucy!" He shouted, "Because I don't want her to be alone."

"So what, you're seriously leavin' me right now?"

"Aye, sir."

And with that response, he flew out of the window and scoured the area for his blonde friend. The train hadn't made it that far away from their boarding station, so it was just his luck. He thought it would be best if he retracted his paw prints back to where he had last seen her- the Inn.

Happy sped up, circling around the area until he saw her running away with tears in her eyes. The blue cat dove down and flew into her chest, "Lucy!" He cried, looking up at the surprised young woman, "Lucy!"

The misty-eyed blonde smiled down at the cat and lifted him up, hugging him close to her heart, "Happy…" She mumbled, "I thought you left with Natsu."

"I did." He admitted, "But… But I got so angry at him for making us leave you behind… so I flew out the window to be with you."

The blonde just nodded and walked on, gently holding him in her arms. She wouldn't admit it, but she was glad Happy was here. He made her feel less lonely, though she couldn't help but worry that he would fly away soon and leave her as well. The cat was Natsu's best friend, after all.

"Is something wrong?" The feline asked, looking up at her. He facepalmed in his own mind, _what a stupid question, of course something is wrong._

"It's nothing." She assured, ruffling his fuzzy head, "You don't need to worry about me."

He frowned, not buying it for one second. So, he snuggled further into her chest and the two walked on. They didn't talk much, but it was good to have somebody else's company. They roamed the streets of Crocus together all the way into the afternoon, which is when they started to get very hungry.

"Do you know if there's a place we could eat around here?"

"No. I haven't been here in ages, but wherever we go I'll make sure they have lots of fish for you."

"Aw Lucy, you're the best."

Back at the guild, Natsu was surrounded by a crowd of worried guildmates.

"Where is Lucy and Happy?" Cana shouted from the bar as she held tightly to her keg. The teenager backed away, while his eyes flickered around the room looking for Master Makarov.

"Natsu, where are they?" Erza Scarlet said with a great amount of concern in her voice, "Tell me!" She ordered, standing right above him and giving him a frightening glare.

"Back in Crocus."

"_What?!" _

"You just ditched them?" The alcoholic asked, "What the hell is your problem?"

"Don't crowd the boy." An elderly voice said from the back, "Let me talk to him, we'll sort this thing out."

"Very well." The knight answered, "Now, Wendy, Gray! Come along, we must head to Crocus to retrieve our comrade."

"No." The Master said, surprising everyone. He cleared his throat and started over, "I mean, we should not retrieve her until I have spoken to Natsu, then we could come up with a plan after that."

The scarlet-haired beauty seemed hesitant but nodded in agreement.

Back in Crocus, the two heroes were wondering around town trying to find a place to eat.

"Why can't there be a map around here?"

"Do you want me to look around? If I transform maybe I could find something from the sky."

Lucy's eyes widened for a second before she turned her head away. She didn't want to admit it, but she was afraid that if the blue cat flew away for even a fraction of a second than that would be the last she'd see of him.

Sensing this, Happy snuggled close to her chest and pawed at her hand, "It's okay, Lucy." He assured, "You know I'd never leave you."

"Oh, look." She said suddenly, pointing to a small easily priced restaurant ahead of them, "A place to eat, and it looks like they serve fish."

"What are we waiting for then, let's go!"

She nodded and picked up the pace, smiling happily when they entered the building. She picked up a menu for herself and looked over it as the line moved forward, then set it down once they reached the hosting booth.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am." The hostess said, eyes flickering down towards the blue cat in her arms, "We don't allow pets inside the building."

"What? No, please, we only want something to eat."

"We?" She looked down at the cat, "Oh, we don't have any cat food either. Now, if you'll move asi—"

"I don't even like cat food, lady!" Happy announced, "I'm a raw fish kinda cat. Now will you please just let us through, we've been wondering around for an hour just trying to find somewhere to eat."

"It… talks?"

"Look Ma'am, I know it's an inconvenience, but we really need the food. Please, we're so hungry and I'll make sure we don't stay too long."

"No way. If I make an exception for you, I have to make an exception for everyone."

"Is there an outdoor seating area? We could sit there so we wouldn't be going against the rules."

"No, we don't." The Hostess replied bitterly, "I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do for you. If you are looking for a place that's pet friendly, try one of the coffee shops down the block. Maybe they have something for you and your cat."

Lucy ducked head in defeat, "I understand, I'm sorry." The blonde turned around and exited the building, walking away with Happy in her arms.

The cat sucked in a deep breath of air before finally speaking, "Uh… Mom?"

She looked down at him in shock, "Mom?" She repeated with a smile, "You really think of me as your Mom?"

"Is that weird?"

"No, I think it's kinda sweet." The girl admitted, releasing him and placing him on her shoulder instead, "Did you need something?"

"I just wanted to see if you were alright. That lady was really mean to us. You could have just left me outside and bring out some food to go."

"No." She answered sternly, "There's no way I could leave you out here by yourself. You c-could've gotten hurt, or kidnapped, or…" A tear slid down her face at the thought of leaving him out there alone. She wasn't like Natsu. She wouldn't just leave a friend behind.

Tears began to spill down her cheeks and she quickly sank down into a nearby bench, pawing away her own tears.

A key in her pouch suddenly glowed and she sighed, "Loke." She mumbled, "S- So you heard everything h-huh?" The blonde sighed, "P- Please don't do anything." She begged, "I promise I'm f- fine."

"But you're crying, Lucy." A male voice said in front of her. Lucy looked up, completley unfazed by the sudden appearance of the orange-haired man wearing a suit standing in front of her. He took a seat next to his Mage and handed the girl a tissue, "Here."

"You didn't need to come here."

"Someone did." He answered, "And I will never forgive Natsu for this. When you get back to the guild—"

"Please, you don't need to overreact Loke, I'm gonna be fine. I'm gonna go back to the guild and things are gonna go back to normal. Heading out to missions with me, Erza, Happy, Wendy, and…" She cleared her throat, "Never mind." She looked down at the cat, who was now sitting on her lap, "Well, let's go find that cafe."

"Lucy…" Happy said sadly. He hated that she couldn't seem to say Natsu's name anymore. The two of them, no, the three of them were supposed to be best friends. No, a family. It couldn't even be explained how sad he was right now for his family to be torn apart like this.

"What? Aren't you hungry?"

"Well, yeah but—"

"Then let's go." She ordered, fake smiling to Loke, who just nodded sadly and vanished before her eyes.

Happy stared up at his friend sadly, "I mean, if that's really what you want…" He raised his wings and floated just a bit ahead of Lucy, keeping an eye on her. He hated how quiet she was. She had never been this quiet before.

Back in the guild hall, Master Makarov was having to explain to everyone Natsu's situation. They had decided that if he was indeed going to turn into a dragon, then it would be best if he stayed as far from Fairy Tail, no, as far as Ishgar as possible. There would be no chains or anything (because we all know that none of those things could hold Natsu) but instead would place him in a cave to wait this out. Just one night, just one night and then everything could be over.

Erza couldn't admit it aloud but she thought that this plan was ridiculous. In hindsight, it sounded logical but in her own mind she knew that it would fail. Natsu already had a strong connection with Lucy and it was clear that he would do anything to get her. His senses were already more heightened then most of them so who knows how developed they would be during his transformation. If he left his cave (which was very likely) there would be a definite possibility that he would harm innocent civilians in order to find his mate.

_I hope she doesn't come back here looking for him. _The redhead thought to herself as she slowly isolated herself from the crowd, her armor clanking at each step, _come to think of it, she's probably wondering around unprotected. That could place her in even more danger if she and Natsu were to cross paths. _She sighed and left the building, _please forgive me, Master but I must do this for Lucy. _

And so, she left for Crocus, hoping that the outcome of the situation would work the way her guildmates thought it would.

**A/N: **Hi guys! I'm just here again with another chapter (Yay)! Wow, I can't believe how many follows this story has gotten. It makes me so happy that there are so many people enjoying my work!

Most of all, I would like to make a shout-out to my reviewers, seeing your positive comments always makes me smile!

Please make sure to continue to do so, I really love the support!

Quick update: The next chapter of 'Fire' is coming soon, so stay tuned for that!

Love,

Sellybelly411


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Erza searched all over Crocus looking for her two friends. She had arrived the day after Natsu had left them alone and had arrived in the afternoon. She knew they had to be somewhere in the city for sure but the question was _where?_

Hands on her hips, she stared up at her last stop- the royal castle of Fiore, where Princess Hisui resided. Could they be on one of the palace garden tours? No, that didn't seem like something they would be interested.

"Thank you so much for having us, Princess." A familiar voice said happily, "You really didn't have to, though."

Someone chuckled, "Oh, Lucy it was no problem at all! You're welcome here anytime, you know. It was great to see you." The green-haired girl said again, wrapping her friend in a hug, "You will come visit again, right?"

"Of course." The blonde responded.

"Aye!"

"Ooh, well then, I won't keep you hostage anymore. You two have a wonderful day."

"Thank you, Princess Hisui!"

"See ya!"

They turned the corner and left the gardens, Erza standing up and staring happily at her two friends who were already chatting about where to go next.

"Lucy! Happy!" The redhead shouted, earning their attention.

The teenage girl paused and turned around, shocked when she saw her friend. Happy leaped off her shoulder and floated just above her head, just as shocked as his comrade.

"Oh, thank goodness. I am so glad I located you two." The knight said happily, "I was worried that you had left town already. Are you both alright? You haven't encountered any danger, have you?"

"Chill out, we're fine." Lucy assured, walking ahead with Erza now by her side, "What are you doing here, though?"

"I have come across some information that I thought you should be aware of, Lucy. It might help fill in all the gaps regarding your situation with Natsu."

Lucy's eyes opened in shock for a second before she turned her head away and said nothing. The redhead waited for some sort of verbal response from the girl but soon realized that was not going to happen. She cleared her throat and continued to speak, "Natsu leaving was not his own decision."

Lucy just rolled her eyes in response, not believing her. It was a dangerous thing to do things like that in front of Erza Scarlet, but at the moment the blonde didn't seem to give a crap. Erza frowned and touched the girl's shoulder gently, "It's true. The Master told him to retreat back to the Guild Hall."

Lucy stayed silent.

"Apparently Natsu is undergoing some sort of Dragon related event that happens once in his life. He and Master were simply afraid of you getting harmed in the process."

She said nothing but Erza swore she saw tears in her eyes. Happy flew to her side and nuzzled the blonde's cheek making her crack the smallest of smiles.

"I know his intentions were pure but it is clear that he harmed you in a different and possibly more painful way. Now, if only Master hadn't forced Natsu to leave Ishgar then maybe this whole misunderstanding could be resolved in a much easier manner."

"What?" Lucy shouted, "You're kidding! Don't tell me... "

"Yes." Erza nodded sadly, "It was the Master's wish. He thought that it would keep you safe."

"What the hell? Ugh, what is _with _that stupid moron! Happy, let's go."

"Aye!"

Erza grabbed hold of Lucy's wrist, "What exactly do you think you're doing? You are to reside _here."_

"Why are you stopping me? I thought you came here to take us back."

"You are mistaken. Although I disagree with Master Makarov's strategy in the situation, I will not go against his word."

"Then why did you come here?"

"I thought my information would help soothe you through the pain you seemed to be feeling. It seems I was mistaken, though."

"Ya think?" She shouted angrily, "Ugh! Why does he have to be such a moron? You know what Erza, you were right about one thing."

"And what would that be?"

"I'm not sad anymore."

"Well, it seems that my plan worked after a-"

_**"I'M FURIOUS!"**_

__"Oh, dear…"

Clenching her fists, she let out a angry growl. Happy flew down and perched on her shoulder, "Mom, please… it's alright." He assured, smiling down at the angry girl.

_Mom? _The redhead thought.

"Yeah? How so?"

"Because we'll make sure to get him back good as soon as we find him!"

"Oh, yeah, I like that plan!" The blonde answered, completely satisfied. She looked down at the handle of her luggage which she had forgotten that she had been holding and tugged it along behind her. The two waved goodbye to Erza, who was still frozen in shock.

"We're going back to Magnolia then?" Happy asked, now sitting on top of her head and looking at her upside down.

"Yep. We're going to find Master and make him tell us where he is."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Well, we start looking on our own. We know he's outside Ishgar, so maybe if we take a boat or something, we could fly up and check around there?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Alright then, let's go buy our tickets home."

And so, they walked to the station, leaving a confused Erza behind. She facepalmed, wondering why her friends had to be this… this… _disobedient. _Plus, the Celestial Mage was usually the intellectual type and therefore should have known better. The whole ordeal had the requip wizard's head spinning more than she would like to admit aloud.

About an hour later, Lucy and Happy took their seats on the train. They stayed silent for a bit, not sure what to talk about. It took a good fifteen minutes into the train ride for Happy to finally speak up, "...Mom?"

She looked down at the blue cat, "Yeah?" She still wasn't used to the name, but was smart enough to remember who he was talking to.

"Are you going to be mad at Natsu forever?"

"No, not forever. Just until he says sorry for leaving me. It really hurt, y'know?" She sighed sadly, "I'm just glad you came back here to stay with me."

"You bet, Lucy."

She smiled happily and leaned her chin upon her hand, looking out the window as they passed stop by stop. Happy soon fell asleep, curled up into a fuzzy ball on her lap. She pet him as the vehicle continued to drive. She was so deep in thought that they almost missed their _own _stop.

Grabbing her luggage and gently waking her snoozing blue cat awake, they walked outside only to be greeted by a crowd of people, each of them inquiring about the whereabouts of Natsu. Lucy's cheeks grew red with anger and she nearly burst as the questions pursued. Fearing the outburst, Happy sprouted his wings and carried a agitated Lucy back to Magnolia. The first thing they did was stop by Strawberry Street, so the blonde could drop off her bags. Then they made their way back to the Fairy Tail guild hall, and instead of saying hello like she usually did the girl just asked where Natsu was.

As she started to walk in, her path was blocked by her guild members, "Do you really need to do that? You just finished your mission, Lucy! Wouldn't you rather take a quick nap to get your energy back?"

"I didn't finish any mission because in case you haven't heard, that idiot Natsu went and left me!"

At the bar, Natsu's ears perked up at the sound of her angry voice. What was wrong? What had happened that made her sound so furious?

There was a sudden smack to his skull which re-grabbed his attention.

"Listen, my boy! Time is near, you just being here is a danger to your partner! Our plan was to have you leave tomorrow but I am afraid that that's not going to be able to happen. The question is, how can we get you outside of Ishgar in time?" Master Makarov stroked his chin thoughtfully until his eyes settled on the blue cat perched on Lucy's shoulder, "Happy!"

Saluting, the blue cat flew right in front of the Master's face, "Aye, sir?"

"Take Natsu out of the guild hall right now and to the location on the map! We can't tell you all the details, but we-"

"Humph."

"_What_ did you just say to me?!"

"Forgive me Master, but I'm not doing anything that involves Natsu."

"Oh, I see you're mad as well…"

"Why wouldn't I be? That lousy fire-breathing jerk made Lucy cry!"

Natsu paused and stared at his friend, who was still fighting the crowd so she could yank an apology out of him. He didn't know what Happy meant because she didn't _look _sad. Her cheeks were a deep shade of red, just like before. What was her deal? Should he have offered to get another cold drink again? Maybe he should take her to Wendy, because there was always a possibility that she might be sick. Clearly, the dragon slayer couldn't recognize anger when he saw it.

"... and that's why you aren't leaving until you say you're sorry!"

Natsu looked up at the agitated Happy, who was flying in mid-air with his paws crossed and his head held high.

"... Huh? Did you say something?"

"Natsu, you meanie! That's it, I'm not taking you anywhere! In fact, I'm taking Lucy outta here and neither of us are going to talk to you ever again!" The blue cat stuck his tongue out and flew over to the blonde, picking her up and flying her out the front door. The sight _enraged _the dragon slayer. He tried to step forward to go after her but someone grabbed his arm, "Gajeel, if I may borrow Pantherlilly."

The black Exceed standing on the ground nodded and flew over to the Master, "Please take this map and carry him to the location. I'm afraid we don't have much time to spare."

"Of course, sir. I'm on my way."

He lifted the annoyed teenager upward and set out on his mission, hoping at the same time that Lucy would listen to reason and stay home the entire time.

**A/N: **Hi everyone! I'm back with another chapter of _Mate of Fate. _I would like to say that this story is _so _fun to write! I got this idea from reading other "Dragon Mating Season" fanfictions both on this website and Wattpad.

Hope y'all are enjoying reading this as much as I am writing it! Please remember to favorite, follow, and review. I love you, my amazing readers and thank you for your support!

Love,

Sellybelly411

**P.S: **A few friends and I have started a Fairy Tail server on Discord! If you are interested in being added, go online or on the app and search me up by my username LucyHeartfilia #3761 and add me as a friend. Make sure to leave me a note in your friend request to tell me you want to be a part of it!


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Lucy stood firm on the pavement, every part of her body raging with anger, "You idiot." She whispered, "You damn idiot." Clenching and unclenching her fists, she cast a glare that was so nasty to her guildmates, it could rival Erza's. The entire guild hall went silent, and a few people even backed up a bit.

"How dare you." She said in a low voice. Happy, who was perched on her shoulder was shaking in fear. He knew that Mom wouldn't hurt him, but it was so frightening seeing her act this way. The blonde must have felt this because she raised a hand and gently stroked his back, "Master… how could you do this to me?"

"It was for your own good."

"My… my _own good? _How could you say such a foolish thing!" She shouted, "How is it good for you to make him leave? Without a single word, no less? What were you _thinking?!"_

"I was thinking that your life was in danger, and I didn't want you to get hurt!"

"Well, I'm already hurt. So, job well done." She scolded, giving him the cold shoulder. Makarov stared at the mage in utter shock. An armored hand settled on Lucy's other shoulder, and the girl stared up at the redhead. Erza offered a kind smile, "Everything will be fine, Lucy." She assured, "He'll return soon enough."

"You say that like it's going to excuse him from disappearing on me like that." The blonde swatted the warrior's hand away and glared at the crowd, who were all staring at her open-mouthed. Because who could ever imagine that happy-go-lucky Lucy Heartfilia could ever be this _scary?_

"Lucy please, calm yourself, child."

"Tell me where Natsu is." She demanded, baring her teeth at him.

"I cannot do that." He answered with a bow of his head, "But I can tell you why we made him do what needed to be done."

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and crossed her arms. Makarov took this as his cue to explain, so he beckoned her forward and frowned. Lucy took a seat at an empty stool and Happy flew into her lap, curling up into a little ball, his ears twitching to show that he was listening to the conversation. The Master sighed as he met the eyes of an angry Lucy, "Well, I suppose I should start at the beginning…"

An hour later, Lucy sat frozen in place, her face as red as a tomato. Happy was fast asleep by now and had dozed off right in the middle of Makarov's story. The blonde felt her cheeks, "His m-m-mate?" She stuttered, shaking her head, "No way! Lisanna's known Natsu way longer than I have, shouldn't she be the one he picks?" She argued.

"Well, it is true that they have known each other longer, but that doesn't mean that they were automatically meant to be together." She shrugged, "And in all honesty, I've never seen a relationship half as strong as the one you have with Natsu. He really relies on you, you know."

Lucy turned her face away, not to meet the bartender's eyes. The white-haired girl sighed, "I've seen the way he acts around you too, Lucy." She commented, "I've never seen him acting so gentle towards any other member of our guild. I mean, haven't you ever thought that he's the only one you'll ever need by your side?"

Her cheeks pinked a bit more, "And what do you mean by that?"

"He was the first person you wanted to go to when you lost… Aquarius." She whispered the last part and frowned when she saw the blonde starting to tear up, "And…" She continued, "I've never seen a day go by where he hasn't made you smile." Lucy frowned and stroked the kitten on her lap, then shook her head.

"I don't understand what's so hard to believe about that, don't you love him?"

Tears started falling down her face, "Love only leads to misery." She said honestly, "Everyone I've ever loved has left me. So why would Natsu be any different?" She whispered sadly.

"I didn't leave, though." Happy said sleepily, rubbing at his eyes, "I'm right here."

"But you did." She responded, "You left with him. On the day I needed you two the most." She glared at the crowd, "All of you left me."

"Lucy…" Happy whispered, tears in his eyes. He wrapped the blonde in a hug, and she gladly returned it. She frowned and stood up, holding the cat in her arms, "But still… I'm not letting him get away again."

"No, don't tell me… you're actually going after him?" Makarov said, shocked. Lucy turned around and stared at him, "I am. And none of you are going to stop me." She looked down at the blue cat in her arms, "Ready to go, Happy?"

The exceed wiped away a few tears of his own and nodded, "Aye, sir!" He answered, snuggling into her chest as they exited the guild together. He felt so guilty suddenly_, we really did leave her._ He thought _she was already grieving too… and we just made it worse. How could we be so selfish? _He looked up at the blonde and gasped when he saw her frowning again, "Mom…" He whispered, earning a half-hearted smile from the girl. She just sighed and looked down at him, "I made you cry." She observed, "I'm sorry, Happy."

"No!" He shouted, "I should be the one saying sorry, Lucy. I didn't want to go on that stupid training mission in the first place, but he made me… I never wanted to leave you. I love you so much, Mom!" He wasn't lying. He had heard about the loss of Lucy's first friend and had wanted to stay with her.

_"She'll be fine."_ Natsu had said, _"You know how Luce is. She'd never go a day without a smile on her face!"_

Lucy hugged the cat closer to her chest, "I know you do." She assured, planting a kiss on his forehead, "But we can talk about all that later, we have to find Natsu."

"Yeah, didn't Master say that he'd be a dragon for a day? How are we supposed to find him that fast?"

"Crap, you're right." She whispered, "Well, Erza said that he was somewhere off Ishgar. So, do you think it would be a good idea to check out Stella?" She suggested.

"Well, it's definitely a good place to start. And, hey! Maybe we could see Lady Sonya again. Maybe she could have some ideas on where Natsu is?"

"That's a good idea." She agreed with a nod, "Let's go find a place we can rent a boat." She said, "But with a place that far away, the travel expenses would be insane. I wish you could fly us there, but I don't think you could make that long of a trip."

"Sorry, Lucy." He apologized. She just smiled and ruffled his hair in reassurance, "It's okay." She said, "We'll figure something out."

They walked in silence, and soon enough the cat fell asleep in her arms. _I'll find you, Natsu. _She thought _because there is no way I am ever letting you leave me again._

_"Haven't you ever thought that he's the only one you'll ever need by your side?"_ Mira's voice rang in her head and the blonde just frowned. _If he really did… feel that certain way… wouldn't he care enough to tell me what's been going on with him? I would understand. I would stand by his side as long as he needed me. That's what someone would do if they really cared about someone. But does that mean… I love him?_

Lucy's cheeks pinkened and she shook her head, _stop being stupid, Lucy. Caring for someone doesn't mean that you love him. No matter how many times he has been there for you…_ images of the dragon slayer flashed across her mind, and she teared up. _Natsu, you damn idiot. I'll kill you for leaving me. _

Meanwhile, Natsu was sitting alone in a dark cave, growing very bored. He wondered what Lucy was doing right now. Probably chatting with Wendy or Mira back at the guild, he figured. She always loved talking to them, even that stripper Gray Fullbuster. He growled at the thought of that idiot ice man laying a hand on his Lucy but reassured himself by knowing that even if he _did_ try something, Erza Scarlet would always put a stop to it. She was all about keeping people in line, and even though it could be a pain sometimes, he knew she was trustworthy.

"Lucy…" He whispered, pulling his knees to his chest and leaning his chin on top of both his knees, "Please stay safe."

**A/N: Well, well, well, look who's back? Had super mega trouble writing a new chapter because… uh… I was stumped. Hope y'all still care enough about this story to read it. I saw so many sweet comments that I couldn't leave y'all hangin' any longer. **

** I hope you guys like this chapter! Hopefully it was worth the wait.**

** Love,**

** Sellybelly411**


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Lucy sat emotionless on the small rowboat, stroking Happy, who had curled up on her lap again, fast asleep. They had managed to get an easy and cheap ride to Stella from none other than the fisherman that the blonde passed every night that she walked home.

"Thanks again for agreeing to take us here, I know it's a long journey." She said, breaking the silence. One of the fishermen turned to her and smiled, "It's no problem, Miss Lucy. We've been meaning to come here anyway."

"That so?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow.

The man nodded, "Yeah. The fish here are supposed to be delicious, we could sell them off easy."

The blonde chuckled and turned her head around when the island came into view. She hadn't been here in about a month or two, but it still felt like a new experience just staring at Stella. She felt something stir on her lap, and Lucy looked down, smiling when she saw a drowsy Happy. _I wish it was this easy to travel with Natsu._ She thought to herself as she watched the exceed rub at his sleepy eyes and look up at her, "Lucy…" He mumbled, "Are we there yet?"

"Yeah." She said with a smile, "We're almost docked." Happy smiled sleepily at the girl and yawned again, "Lucy? I'm hungry."

"All that napping made you hungry, huh?"

"Mm-hm." He nodded, smiling at his friend. They walked off the boat together, and Lucy offered to pay the men what she had, but they refused and only wished her luck. The blonde held the kitten close to her chest and tried to find her way to the castle. She didn't visit Lady Sonya as often as she did Princess Hisui back in Crocus, so it was a bit hard for her to remember where to go.

They did, however, stop at a small restaurant that allowed pets. Lucy ate what she could, while Happy chowed down on all the fish the kitchen could bring him. They were sure to eat quickly though because the day was only so long. After paying, they continued their walk to Lady Sonya's palace and smiled when they finally found it. But she didn't have to go in, because in the distance was a very familiar woman sobbing in the gardens.

_Sonya?_

Lucy gripped her hold on Happy and quickened her pace, just in case there was any sort of danger. But all they saw was the quiet woman they had met two months ago, and she was in tears.

"Lady Sonya?" She whispered. This seemed to startle her because she held up her hands in surrender, "No, please! Do not take me, leave my people alone!" Her eyes were filled with horror, and the blonde stepped back. The orange-haired girl's vision cleared as she finally realized who she was talking to, "Lucy…" She breathed, her eyes closing as she passed out in the blonde's arms.

"Oh, my goodness…" The blonde said worriedly, "Come on, Happy. Let's take her into the castle."

"Aye." he agreed, hopping onto Lucy's shoulder. They had some trouble with the castle guards, but after showing them the condition their lady was in, they took Sonya away from Lucy and brought her inside.

"What's wrong with her?" Lucy asked, her eyes settled on the door. One of the guards sighed, "There have been some death threats against Lady Sonya, most likely from the followers of Zash Kane who are looking for vengeance. And it seems that they are so merciless, these savages are taking Zash's defeat out on our people as well."

"How terrible." The blonde responded, "I wish you and your people best of luck." Lucy smiled sympathetically at the guard then turned her attention back to the cat on her shoulder, "Ready to go, Happy?"

"Aye!"

The guard's eyes widened as he noticed her guild mark and grabbed her wrist. A stroke of fear shot up Lucy's spine and she growled at the man, swatting his hand away, "Don't." She ordered. Happy stared at her in shock, _but you let Natsu touch your hand_… then he noticed how she was rubbing her wrist and understood instantly. _Natsu would never yank on her like that. But that man hurt her. He hurt Mom._

"What the hell do you want?" She shouted, still rubbing her wrist. The guard was surprised at first, but shook his head, "You're from an official guild, correct?"

"What's it to you, ya jerk?"

"Well, now that you understand what's going on with Lady Sonya, I have a request for you to put a stop to this."

"We're already on a mission." She responded, "But if I happen to run into any creeps on my way, I'll have one of my Celestial Spirits bring them your way." Her eyes narrowed and she looked up at the cat on her shoulder, "Happy? Let's go."

"Aye-aye, sir!" He shouted as he sprouted his wings and lifted her above the ground. He noticed that she was still rubbing her wrist, "You okay, Lucy?"

"I'm fine." She assured, "But we should still be careful. Make sure to pay attention to any signs of Natsu, okay?"

"Aye!" He shouted, lifting her up a bit higher so they could get a clearer view. Lucy's eyes widened and she gasped, "Happy, look out! Something's attacking us!" Something whizzed past them and grazed Lucy's shoulder, "I just can't catch a break today." She mumbled to herself, clutching her wound.

"Are you okay, Lucy?" Happy asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, just fly higher until we're out of range!" She ordered a stern look on her face when Happy complied. But still, the attacks kept coming, and they were nearly impossible to dodge. She suddenly heard Happy shout in pain and looked up to see that he had clipped his wing. His white wings vanished, and he started falling quickly to the ground. Panicking, Lucy managed to wrap an arm around her wounded friend, "You'll pay for what you've done." She shouted at their attackers. She unsheathed her whip and swung it at them mid-air until they were tied up. The blonde muttered an incantation to herself and managed to land with ease. Still holding the blue cat protectively, she glared at the men holding the magic arrows. _Ah, so that's what they were_.

"I'm not gonna bother wasting my magic on you morons." She spat, as she raised her whip high above herself and threw the men, still wrapped inside it as far towards the castle as she could. Hopefully, the guards could take it from here and keep Lady Sonya safe. Her eyes widened as she looked down at Happy, "Are you okay?"

"No." He said weakly, "I got hit… pretty bad. I'm sorry, I can't fly…" Lucy frowned and patted his head, "It's alright, Happy." She held him tightly with both her arms and smiled as he snuggled into her chest, his eyes already drooping closed. _I suppose this means we'll have to find another way to the cave._ She thought to herself, _but how could I possibly find Natsu when he's so far up? Besides, I don't even know if he's here in Stella. What if all this looking is for nothing? _

But what Lucy didn't know was how close she really was. Because Natsu indeed was on the island, resting in a freezing cold cave buried deep inside a chasm. Scales were slowly appearing in his face, and wings had started to grow. It was all so painful, but he didn't care. He clacked his sharp dragon teeth as he thought of Lucy. The girl was all he could think about for all the time he had been here. He groaned once more as his wings finally appeared on his back, and his hands sharpened.

Something was off, though. He could sense it. He moved closer to the entrance of the cave and sniffed the air. A hint of a smile tugged at his lips as he recognized the scent of vanilla and strawberries. But this time it was mixed with… blood? _It's all over her._ He thought _It's not fatal, but…_ his eyes transformed into slits and he let out a loud, angry roar that nearly shook the surface. _No, Natsu. Don't overreact. Master said that anger will only make it worse._ He took a few deep breaths and slid down the cave wall.

_How stupid is she to come here? Doesn't she know that she's in danger?_ But he shook his head and chuckled. That girl was so damn stubborn, he should've known that she'd come after him. He smiled at the thought, _no matter how much I love her… I can't allow her to come near me._ Natsu buried his face in his hands, which he realized had no become red, scaled dragon claws. The pink-haired boy gasped in shock and moved away from the cave's opening. _This is getting bad… I can't risk her finding me. By the looks of it, I'll be a dragon in no time. _

Meanwhile, at the Fairy Tail guild, Erza stood alone in the back corner of the building, worrying about her friend. The poor girl, all alone, looking for the mage that wanted possession over only Lucy and Lucy alone. _How could she possibly hold her own against a dragon? True, Natsu merely wants to share his love with her… but how are we to know if he is going to resort to harming her just to get her into his possession?_ Tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered her confession about love bringing nothing but misery. _But she spreads so much love to the guild, how could I have known that she doesn't believe in it at at all?_

"Hey… um, Erza?" A small voice called out, breaking the Requip Mage from her thoughts. She looked down at met the eyes of a frightened 12-year old girl, Wendy Marvell. Tears were stinging her eyes and her body shook as she stared at her older friend, "Lucy's going to come back, isn't she?" She asked, her voice full of pain and worry. This broke something in Erza, and she reached over and placed a hand on top of the girl's head, "Of course, Wendy. She's Lucy of Fairy Tail. She's not one to back down without a fight, you know."

"Even so…" Wendy whispered, "I'm not sure how I feel about her and Happy walking around all by themselves. For all we know, they could be seriously injured and we don't even know where they are! How would I be able to get there in time?" She shouted, covering her face as she continued to cry. Wendy was a Sky Dragon Slayer, who feasted on air and was well versed in all types of healing magic. She could fight, but she definitely wasn't as strong as Natsu or Gajeel Redfox, the Iron Dragon Slayer.

"Calm yourself, Wendy."

"But Erza, I—"

"Wendy." She said sternly, "You don't seriously think I'm foolish enough to abandon her a second time?" A smile came to the blue-haired girl's face and she hugged her friend happily. The redhead smiled back and wrapped an arm around the little girl in return, "Lucy may be very powerful, but to face up against a dragon is out of her control."

"Do you really think Natsu'd hurt her?"

"I don't know, but we can't take that chance." She answered honestly, "Go gather Gray, Juvia, and Gajeel. We could use some assistance on this mission."

"Right!" The blue-haired girl shouted, elbowing past her guildmates so she could gather her friends. _We're not going to let you go away this time, Lucy. We're going to stand by your side no matter what. Because we're members of Fairy Tail! And the safety and well-being of our friends always comes before anything else!_

**A/N: **And that does it for Chapter Seven! Was feeling pretty excited after posting my most recent one, and it seemed I'm officially on a role here. Hope y'all enjoy, and please make sure to like, follow, and leave comments and reviews!

Love,

Sellybelly411


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